Floor Statements

Madam President, reserving the right to object, the Senator brings an absolutely extraneous and unrelated measure to the floor. What we are supposed to be discussing here is what Senator Husted just offered, a voter ID proposal. And it is revealing to hear my Democratic colleague try to change the subject from something that is very popular--voter ID--to his very unpopular position, which is his opposition to having voters present voter ID.

You need a photo ID to buy a beer, to board a plane, to cash a check. Why not voting in elections? Why do you want to keep changing the subject?

Senator Husted's bill is simple. It simply requires voters to show a photo ID when they show up to vote. Senator Husted knows about administering elections, and he knows it better than any other Member of this body because he spent years as Ohio's secretary of state. His job was to run elections that were fair and safe and secure, and he did it successfully. He did this in one of the most closely watched battleground States in America. If anyone knows what it takes to protect the integrity of elections, it is Senator Jon Husted of Ohio. He knows that this simple, commonsense requirement of a photo ID would make elections more secure.

Now, here is what is astonishing. Just a few days ago, the minority leader said that his caucus is not opposed to a photo ID when you show up to vote. Well, I agree with that. Yet here

we are, just days later. The Democrats are here on the floor opposing Senator Husted's commonsense bill to require a photo ID when you show up to vote.

Apparently they were for it before they were against it. And here is what is most interesting. Thirty years ago, the minority leader, Senator Schumer, then a Member of Congress, championed photo ID requirements to receive welfare benefits. He famously called photo ID requirements then anti-fraud. Again, he was for it before he was against it.

Democrats are here on the floor objecting, as we have just seen, to commonsense photo ID requirements to vote in American elections. Photo IDs are common sense. They are necessary. Senator Husted's bill should pass without amendments, without delay. And therefore, I object.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into this country when Joe Biden was President, when the Democrats were in the majority in this body--10 million illegal immigrants. Democrats now want to make those same illegal immigrants have an impact on the outcome of elections in our Nation. Democrats continue to be the party of open borders and illegal voters.

Mr. President, last week the Department of Homeland Security arrested an illegal immigrant who had voted in every Federal election since 2008. He voted in the State of Pennsylvania, which, of course, is a swing State where the outcomes are decided on razor-thin majorities.

Every single time he voted, he signed a Federal form. The form stated:

I am a citizen of the United States.

Every single time, he signed. Every single time, he lied. He is not a citizen, and he knew it was a crime for him to vote. He voted anyway because he could get away with it. That is fraud. It is a Federal crime, and it happens over and over and over again.

The Democrats enable it. The reason it happens over and over again is that Democrats fight every single effort that we have to stop it. They don't want it to end. They want it to continue, and they want more of it. That includes the bill that is before us today, the SAVE America Act.

Yesterday, Republicans put every single Democrat in this Chamber on the record. Now, all of America knows Republicans support voter photo identification; Democrats do not.

The SAVE America Act requires two things. One is to show a photo ID in order to vote. The second, of course, is to show proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. This is common sense.

I believe only citizens of our country should be allowed to vote in our elections. I also believe that you should have to show a photo ID in order to vote. Now, the great majority of Americans agree with me, and that is regardless of which party that person happens to be a member of. The American people overwhelmingly agree, agree that American elections should be decided by American citizens.

Do you know what the minority leader said here Monday afternoon, right here on this floor? He called that concept that I just outlined, he called it ``fringe.'' Well, let me tell you what fringe is, and I will show you why.

Today, 19 States, as well as the District of Columbia, issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, and they do it without any proof of citizenship. You show up, you can get a license. In many of these same States, obtaining a driver's license automatically registers

someone to vote--no citizenship checks, no additional steps, no questions asked, no accountability--19 States.

And the minority leader on the floor the other day said that one of the things he didn't like about the SAVE America Act is that it would prevent automatic registration when people get their licenses in these places. Well, they are not supposed to get licenses if they are not citizens. Certainly, that is what I believe. And certainly, if they are not citizens, they shouldn't be registered to vote automatically. That is what the Democrats are fighting for: automatic enrollment on the voter rolls for people who are not citizens of the United States when they get a driver's license, in 19 States and the District, which allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. Now, by the way, these 20 jurisdictions represent 240 votes in the electoral college.

I just want to take a second to look to the State of Oregon. Oregon hands out driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. When people get a driver's license in Oregon, automatically registered to vote. As a result, from 2021 all the way through 2024, hundreds of illegal immigrants were added onto Oregon's voter rolls. Today, we are in 2026. Oregon is still scrambling to try to clean up the disaster that they created with automatic voter registration when they gave illegal immigrants a driver's license.

This is the chaos that the Democrats continue to defend and are defending on this floor today. This is the problem that will be prevented by the SAVE America Act.

As Democrats come to this floor and they fight to let illegal immigrants vote, they are simultaneously--and this is so sad--they are actively defunding American security. That is right; they are defunding American security. Democrats would rather stand with illegal immigrants and illegal immigrant criminals than to vote to protect law-abiding citizens. That is a shame. It is astonishing to many, and it is business as usual for the Democrats in this body.

There have been four terror attacks on American soil in just the past 2 weeks. People have died. What have Senate Democrats done about it? Last week, Senate Democrats came to this floor and refused once again to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security. Blood is on their hands. They don't seem to care. Fully funding the Department of Homeland Security is the best way to keep our Nation safe.

Yet, for more than a month, Democrats have practiced the politics of pain. Democrats have defunded bomb prevention training class. I mean, can you imagine that? People are making bombs to bomb areas of our country, to bomb individuals--bombs were thrown at the mayor's house in New York City, at the residence there--and Democrats have defunded bomb prevention training classes.

This includes one location after another; and yet, because of this shutdown by the Democrats of the Department of Homeland Security, only a third of the instructors in the bombing prevention training are on the job. Training classes are canceled.

Democrats are also withholding paychecks from TSA agents. Many TSA agents live paycheck to paycheck. In communities around the country and in my State and the Presiding Officer's, community groups and service clubs are taking up food drives to take food to the airports to give to the TSA agents because they are not getting paid because the Democrats have shut down the Department of Homeland Security.

Under these circumstances, many TSA agents aren't showing up for work. Others are just quitting and getting a job where they know they will get paid. And the problem was made worse by the Democrats' shutdown last October because these TSA agents said: Been there, done that, not going to do it again.

Travelers across the country are waiting in security lines for hours. That is happening today. And Democrats keep voting to make the wait times even longer because they refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Some of them come to the floor and say: We are going to peel it apart.

The Department of Homeland Security was set up after 2001 and the terror bombings of 9/11. It is a comprehensive program to protect the homeland and the people who live here. Democrats want to peel it apart and say: Well, we will fund this little corner but not that portion and not this portion, and OK over here. We need this comprehensive Department of Homeland Security on the job, working, being paid, doing the training that needs to be done.

It is astonishing that, time and time again, whether it comes to the safety of our citizens, the security of our elections, Democrats once again put illegal immigrants first and American citizens last. Republicans and most Americans reject this far-left extremism of the Democratic Party. It offends so many.

Republicans are going to continue to put American citizens first--at the border, in communities, and at the ballot box.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I come to the floor today to talk about the SAVE America Act. I support the SAVE America Act. I believe that anybody that votes in an American election needs to be an American citizen, and I believe that anyone who shows up to vote needs to present a photo ID to prove they are who they say they are.

Free and fair elections are the foundation of our Nation. It is the 250th anniversary this year of our founding. Voting here is about American citizens voting. And without strong protections, this foundation of 250 years will crumble.

The American people are clear. They believe American elections should be decided by American citizens, not by illegal immigrants.

Listen to the Democrats talk. They think it is fine, let any illegal immigrant vote. You heard from the minority leader yesterday in terms of what we want to do to protect the rights of American citizens to make sure the elections are free and fair. When illegal immigrants vote, the voice of American citizens is undermined.

The fact is, Joe Biden's open border policies undermined elections in this country. Under Joe Biden and the Democrats, over 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into our country, to communities all across the State. Now, Democrats want to make it possible for illegal immigrants to decide the outcome of elections in this Nation.

Democrats are once again prioritizing illegal immigrants and illegal immigrant criminals over American citizens, and that is what they have been doing. That is why we are in the situation we are in, with a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security and why, specifically, today we are on the floor to talk about the SAVE America Act.

Many far-left sanctuary cities already make it easier for illegal immigrants to vote. They have set it up that way because in 19 States and in the District of Columbia, illegal immigrants can get a driver's license with no proof of citizenship whatsoever.

I am against it. I have opposed it from the beginning when the first State proposed it, and now, 19 States and the District do it. In California, in Maryland, Vermont, and Washington, DC, noncitizens are allowed to vote in local elections. I think that is wrong.

It is a felony for illegal immigrants to vote in Federal elections; yet we know it is happening.

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security arrested a criminal illegal immigrant from Africa. He entered the Nation illegally over 20 years ago. He was ordered to be deported in 2002. He first registered to vote in 2005, and he has been voting in Federal elections since 2008.

Most recently, this illegal immigrant voted in the 2024 election. He voted in the State of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is a swing State. It was won by tight margins in both the Presidential and the Senate races.

He should have never been allowed to vote in the United States, and this should never be allowed to happen.

Now, the SAVE America Act protects the vote of every single American citizen. What it says is simple: If you want to vote in the United States of America, you need to be a citizen of the United States of America, and you need to show a photo ID at the poll in order to vote. It is common sense.

Americans show ID every single day. You want to buy a beer? You need to show an ID. You want to get on a plane? You need to show a photo ID.

I have people here in the Gallery from Wyoming--students from Burlington and their teachers, optometrists from around the State of Wyoming. They are all flying back to Wyoming. Every one of them is going to have to show a photo ID to get on the plane.

If you want to cash a check, you need to show a photo ID. Voting should be equally important to show a photo ID.

It should be no different than all these other things. Photo IDs protect against voter fraud, and they prevent illegal immigrants from voting.

Most importantly, it tells each American citizen that their vote counts and their vote matters, and it is not going to be watered down by people who are not citizens of the United States.

American voters in 36 States, including Wyoming, already show an ID in order to vote in elections. We do have voter ID laws in Wyoming. And getting a voter ID is actually free, no cost involved.

So the SAVE America Act that we are going to be discussing and voting on today builds on current, commonsense laws that work in so many States. It makes it easy to vote, and it makes it harder to cheat in every State across the country.

Every Democrat ought to be supporting this, but none of them do. Why do Democrats in this Chamber oppose showing an ID to vote? I think the minority leader is opposed because--in his words--he says it ``allows ICE to kick tens of millions of people off the voter rolls.'' That is who the Democrats are fighting for--illegal immigrant voting. Not for American citizens, not for the rights of the American people to govern our own Nation--no, he is talking about tens of millions of people off the voter rolls.

How did they get on the voter rolls in the first place if they are not citizens? Well, it is automatic voter drives and when people sign up for a motor vehicle license, a driver's license. A number of States have automatic voter registration connected to it. So you get a license, and even if you are illegal, you can be signed up to vote. Certain States are in the process of having to try to figure out how they went wrong and what they need to do to correct it for Federal offices. Oregon State is in the middle of it right now.

If it is true that there are tens of millions of people on the voter rolls that Chuck Schumer talked about that ICE would remove because they are not citizens on the voter rolls, how bad does it have to get? If that is the case, this situation is much worse than most Americans fear.

What we hear from the minority leader saying that this is Jim Crow 2.0--that is fearmongering, and he knows it.

One of our Democratic colleagues will be on this floor later today from the State of Georgia. He requires anybody that wants to show up at one of his campaign rallies to show a photo ID to get in. Apparently, you need to show a photo ID to get into a Georgia campaign rally for a Democrat, and he doesn't want you to have to show one to vote. I guess he doesn't want illegal immigrants at his rallies, but it is OK if they vote for him.

It is astonishing. Why do Democrats support showing a photo ID to attend a political rally and oppose it to vote in an election?

Look, what is clear to all of us is that Democrats oppose elections that limit participations to just American citizens. They don't like that idea. And they are likely to line up one after another today to vote to say: Nope, don't check the ID with a photo on it in order to vote because we want to cram as many people as we can with their ballots into the ballot box to be counted, no matter where they are from.

Democrats said the same thing after the State of Georgia enacted voter ID laws in 2021. What were the results? Well, more people actually voted, not fewer. Turnout hit record levels. The lines moved faster than ever before. The Democrats say it was an impediment.

Voter ID is important.

Democrats' voter suppression lies have been thoroughly debunked time and time again. Yet they continue to repeat them. Voter ID and citizenship proof are safeguards for our elections; they are not restrictions.

The SAVE America Act is how we make elections safe, secure, and a true reflection of the American people. Every American should desire that American elections be decided by American citizens. Who wouldn't? Well, somebody that wants to load up the ballots with people who may vote for them, whether they are citizens or not.

Every Member of the Senate should support the SAVE America Act. By opposing this bill, Democrats are once again putting illegal immigrants ahead of American voters, and Republicans are going to make sure that every voter in America and every citizen voter in America knows which side of that issue people stand on--photo ID and citizenship or not.

The Republicans are here to say it is important that only citizens vote and people prove who they are by showing a photo ID when they go to the ballot box.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Cotton), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``Yea'' and the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) would have voted ``Yea.''

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford) and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``yea.''

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the previously scheduled rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 673, Anna St. John, now occur at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I come to the floor having just heard the minority leader address this body in talking about a fringe position. It has to do with voting in America in our elections.

And, essentially, what the minority leader said--he said it is fringe to have to prove that you are a citizen in order to vote. Apparently, the Democrats view that as a fringe position that you have to prove you are a citizen in order to vote in elections in the United States of America in a national election.

The minority leader additionally said it was basically fringe to have to show a photo ID when you cast a vote in an election. Those are mainstream, commonsense ideas.

The Democrats and Joe Biden let 10 million--if not more--illegal immigrants flood into this country over the 4 years of the Biden administration; and now, what do the Democrats want to do? They want to make it easier for illegal immigrants to go to the polls and to influence and have an impact on the elections in the United States of America.

To me, that is a fringe idea to allow illegal immigrants to vote, but that is what the Democrats are here promoting. I believe you should prove you are a citizen if you want to vote in the United States. I believe you need to show a photo ID when you need to vote.

That is what we have to do in my home State of Wyoming. Many States require it. But not the Democrat States that have been swamped with illegal immigrants and the sanctuary cities to allow anyone to come in, abuse the laws of the land, abuse the privileges of citizens.

That, to me, is a fringe idea, but that is what Democrats are going to stand for this week on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

You need to show an ID if you board a plane. You have got to show an ID if you go to a sporting event and buy a beer.

Why would you not have to show an ID to vote in an election in the United States? And then to hear the minority leader--I mean, it is astonishing. I wrote it down. He said: No more voter registration when you get a driver's license, as if there is something wrong with that.

Nineteen States give driver's licenses to people who are in this country illegally. So, of course, I don't want those people to be able to be registering to vote when they get a driver's license. I don't want them to even get a driver's license.

The minority leader thinks that is business as usual--give the illegal immigrants a driver's license and sign them up to vote, one step after another. We don't care if they are here legally or illegally. Sign them up. Maybe they will vote for us. That is the Democrat position in all of this.

The bill that we are going to be addressing this week on the floor, the SAVE America Act, that is the way we can have safe, secure elections that reflect the viewpoints of the American people.

So when I hear what is fringe, what I think is fringe is the Democrats in this body--and I think every one of them is going to stand with the extreme wing of their party--who want to allow illegal immigrants to vote and have an influence in the elections in this country. It is absolutely wrong.

This week, we are going to put every one of them on the record, and by the time this is over, every American is going to know that the Democrats are the party--that they are the party of illegal immigrants, open borders, and illegal voters.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 629.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 644, which was submitted earlier today.

I know of no further debate.

I ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate resume consideration of Executive Calendar No. 673, Anna St. John, and at 11:30 a.m. execute the order of March 13 in relation to the nomination; further, that if cloture is invoked, the Senate recess from 12:30 to 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings and at 2:15 p.m., the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Tuesday's session of the Senate, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.